Placenta Praevia

Categories: Obstetrics or Midwifery

The after-birth is placed in the lower part of the
womb; (after-birth before the child). This is a dangerous condition and

terrible bleeding may occur. It occurs about one time out of every one

thousand. The main symptom is bleeding and this may occur at any period of

pregnancy. It usually appears from the seventh to the ninth month. The

outset is without any appreciable reason and without pain. The amount of

blood lost at th first attack may be so slight as to escape notice or

copious enough to endanger the life of the mother. This flow may occur at

any time during these months, and it may be small or great. If during the

course of pregnancy the bleeding occurs at intervals in the increasing

amount, the greater will be the loss of blood during the labor.



Treatment. There is little danger of dangerous bleeding before the

seventh month, and a waiting treatment may be adopted, but the woman

should be closely watched and told what the trouble is, so she will be

willing to remain quiet. Rest in bed, the avoidance of all muscular

exercise and quieting medicines may enable the mother to carry the child

until it can live, when pregnancy must be quickly terminated. If the child

is dead the womb must be emptied at once. After the seventh month an

expectant treatment is no longer allowable, and authorities declare the

pregnancy should be terminated without delay. The mother is in great

danger from sudden free flow. This treatment must be given by an

experienced hand and only a physician can do it. If the pregnancy is

allowed to continue to full term the danger to the woman is very great, as

the mortality runs from thirty to sixty-five per cent; but under modern

treatment it has been brought down to five to ten per cent. The death rate

of the child is between fifty and seventy-five per cent.